Kukla's Korner Hockey

If True North Sports and Entertainment chairman Mark Chipman is willing to spend up to the cap ceiling, his team would have around $26 million to work with, but as Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette recently noted, Winnipeg fans shouldn’t get their hopes up for any big free-spending moves.

Chipman has stated his club’s philosophy will be to build through the draft and he’s also suggested his team’s payroll will stick close to the mid-way point, which will be roughly $52-$54 million.

Forget about the possibility of Brad Richards or other big-name unrestricted free agents signing with Winnipeg this summer.

That doesn’t mean Winnipeg won’t sign any UFAs, but it will likely look for affordable talent. The main focus will be re-signing its own key free agents.